Writing Illini
Fansided

Illinois Basketball: Illini looking to add size to the frontcourt in 2022

By Rees Woodcock

Mar 12, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; A fan of the Illinois Fighting Illini waves a flag in support as they celebrate defeating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; A fan of the Illinois Fighting Illini waves a flag in support as they celebrate defeating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Illinois basketball isn’t finished with their class of 2022, and they are putting resources into landing some big-time recruits.

The Illini will have been doing a great job recruiting guards at the No. 1 through No. 3 spots on the roster. But the No. 4 and No. 5 spots have not been going so well post-Kofi Cockburn’s commitment. A name that the Illinois coaching staff is focusing on right now is Ty Rodgers.

Rodgers is a 6-foot-7, 195-pound small forward from Grand Blanc Community High School and resides in Grand Blanc, Michigan. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 65 player in the class of 2022. He is also the No. 18 small forward in the nation and the best player coming out of Michigan.

Back on September 2, Rodgers narrowed the scope of his recruitment down to just nine teams. The programs making his top nine included Memphis, Rhode Island, Alabama, UConn, Michigan State, Xavier, Marquette, Michigan, and Illinois.

Illinois basketball sees an opportunity to land the talented forward.

If the Illini didn’t think there was a solid chance to secure a commitment from Rodgers, they wouldn’t be putting in the resources to recruit him.

On Thursday of last week, the Illini coaching staff continued their pursuit of Rodgers. According to Joseph Tipton of On3Sports.com, Rodgers had three schools do an in-home visit with him. Michigan State, Alabama, and Illinois were the three programs to visit Rodgers.


So, not only did Illinois make Rodgers’ top nine, but they are now doing an in-home visit with him. That means there is a solid connection between the two parties. It also means we are right in the mix for his commitment.

I still believe the Michigan schools are probably the leaders for Rodgers, but it seems that Illinois is building a strong relationship with the kid. It wouldn’t shock me to see another list cut down to four or five and Illinois make that list.

Next. 4 observations from the Illini loss to Virginia. dark

Hopefully, we can continue making some waves in the Rodgers recruitment. This kid has talent, and I want him as my starting No. 4 in 2022-23.

Home/Illinois Basketball Recruiting